In Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Keadilan vice president Tian Chua and filmmaker-cum-writer Hishamuddin Rais both walked out of the magistrate's court vowing to struggle for justice and the repeal of the Internal Security Act - the law under which they were detained, denied of the right to trial, for the past two years.

However, new questions arise as to whether the anti-ISA struggle will become less relevant, now that four out of the movement's six symbols of political manipulation - Chua, Hishamuddin, Saari Sungib and Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor - have been released following the expiration of their detention order on Sunday.

Saari, who is a supreme council member of Keadilan, was let out directly from Kamunting on late Sunday evening, while both Chua and Hishamuddin were taken to Taiping prison to await their bail hearings held on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Ezam was not released as he is currently serving a sentence at the Kajang prison for leaking classified documents on the alleged corrupt practices of Industry and Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz and former Melaka chief minister Rahim Tamby Chik.

Commitment to struggle

In among their first statements to the press, all three released have pledged commitment to the struggle against the Internal Security Act. On Monday, Saari ( photo ) provided the lead by announcing his promise not to rest until existing ISA detainees are given a fair trial, or released from Kamunting.

Mirroring the sentiment of Saari's comments, Chua, who is Keadilan vice president said , "this is not yet freedom. Freedom will only come with the repeal of the ISA."

"ISA is not finished as there are still 100 plus individuals who are still detained under the law," said Tian, dismissing claims that their release may see the pressure also going off the anti-ISA movement, largely built by a coalition of NGOs and interest groups formed over the arrest of the ISA 6 in 2001.

The other two reformasi activists still held in Kamunting are Dr Badrulamin Bahron and Lokman Adam. Unless their detention orders are renewed, both are expected to be released when the order expires on June 12.

In keeping up the momentum over the ISA, Chua said that there is little for people to disagree with the ISA - it is a cause for automatic sympathy. Whether or not detentions are due to political reasons is irrelevant in the face of shared victimisation experiences under the law; or as he puts it, as victims of 'government oppression'.

"When you are detained under the ISA you don't think of how many years to go. You don't make guesses about the future," he said.

Hypocrisy to a fine art

PSM pro-tem chairperson Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim believed that if the ISA is used again for political reasons, the anti-ISA movement will continue to be a political thorn on the side of the government and the Ministry of Home Affairs, whose minister has the final say on who gets detained.

"As long as the ISA is there and people are detained without trial, it will continue to make people stronger."

He pointed out that Umno vice president and former Selangor menteri besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib went on record yesterday to say that it was very good for the government to have released the ISA detainees.

"[The government] has taken hypocrisy to a very fine art - you put people in jail and then you praise yourself when you decide to release them," he said.

He believes that there's more to come for the anti-ISA movement, especially since the human rights commission Suhakam has made a stance , and the Anti-ISA Movement (AIM) is still actively organising. He added that the ISA is now beyond signifying political manipulation alone.

"There are other laws which can be used to circumvent criminal activity, but provided you have the evidence. If you have evidence against Al-Maunah, then bring them to court and let the courts decide," said Dr Nasir.

Now that the three have been released from the Kamunting detention centre, he added, they will galvanise public attention by continuing to talk of the injustice heaped on them.

Suaram executive director Cynthia Gabriel reminded that so long as there are two more reformasi activists and dozens more still in detention, work will continue to oppose the law.

She pointed out that as long as the ISA is in use, it will continue to create a culture of fear - the crucial step away from this, is for the law to be repealed.